More on the ULA… sort of… January 31, 2013

…and an interesting misprint in the Phoenix in relation to the ULA split/demise. It suggests that a ‘new left force’ has emerged to replace the ULA’ and that the five TDs have ‘splintered five different ways’. Is that entirely correct, that last assertion, because surely Clare Daly and Joan Collins are working more closely than hitherto. And the Phoenix itself admits this is the case when it suggests that this ‘new group’…

Yeah, I think you’re right that it means MOS, but the idea of her joining even an informal alliance seems very unlikely to me. I’d have thought she was closer to Murphy et al. I could very well be wrong though.

I agree that ‘alliance’ is likely pushing it too far in the credibility stakes – the Gregory Group advisers may be small in number but they’ve been around long enough to know the potential pitfalls of any such move towards closeness, especially with the more mercurial lefties.

The Phoenix over-egging MOS’s position a little for the sake of a better story?

Maureen is certainly not mercurial. Is she a leftie? Well yes she is on the left and can be depended on to speak for the North inner city. She is also undoubtedly a sincere person and a very nice person and I have given her my No.1. But is she in any way a socialist, or even ideologically to the left, or much to the left? Or is she like some other good non-party reps in the Technical Group, MW, Ming, a champion of the people without any specifically ant-capitalist or socialist message? Maureen is also as soft as marshmallow on the radio and generally disappointing. Like Tony before her too she tends to stay away from things and issues outside her constituency. I think her world view is genuine Christianity and that is fine and we need more of it. But it does make for very general and unengaging contributions.

There has been very little discussion of Maureen’s performance and politics and no one would want to say anything bad about her. But I would be interested to know others’ opinions, especially from those, like myself, who would be generally on her side.